BIOMEDICAL EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

Introduction

Embedded systems are not recognizable as computers. They are hidden inside everyday objects that surround us and help us in our lives. Do not interface with the outside world through familiar personal computer interfaces - mouse, keyboard and graphic user interface. Interface with the outside world - sensors, actuators and specialized communication links. Embedded system is combination of hardware and software which together form a component of a larger machine which can perform a particular function.

Introduction

They often need to provide their services within strict time deadlines to their users and to the surrounding world. Using of real-time operating systems in embedded software Designed to run on its own without human intervention -respond to events in real time. Embedded systems may be used in medical equipments. Their extensive use and integration in everyday products marks a significant evolution in information science and technology.

Trends in Medical Systems

Trends

in Medical Systems are following:

Direct face-to-face medical support to remote supervision and monitoring automated for control of long-term medication and treatment. New means of interaction and surgery by new medical devices (MEMS, nano devices). Smarter healthcare systems: automated errorfree provision in hospitals.

Transducer that uses pulsed doppler ultrasound to measure fetal heart rate

Continuous arterial blood gas monitor

Telemedicine
Telemedicine may be defined as the use of computers and telecommunication technologies to provide medical information and services from distant locations

Requirement Specification

Nodal Hospital

A patient getting treated A Doctor A remote telemedicine console having audio visual and data conferencing facilities

POTS / ISDN

Referral Hospital

An expert/ specialized doctor A central telemedicine server having audio visual and data conferencing facility

Sequence of Operation
PATIENT IN

Day One
Patient receives local treatment and not referred to telemedicine system

Patient visits OPD Local Doctor checks up

OUT

Patient referred to the Telemedicine system (some special investigations may be suggested) Patient visits Telemedicine data-entry console. Operator entries patient record, data and images of test results, appointment date is fixed for online telemedicine session Offline Data transfer from Nodal Centre

OUT

Sequence of Operation
Day Two

Patient 1 Patient 2 Patient 3 Patient 4 . . .

Online conference for the patient. IN Patient, local doctors at the nodal hospital and specialist doctors at the referral hospital OUT

Hardware Configuration
Video Conference

Modem

Telephone Microscope and other medical instruments Video Conference

Referral Hospital
PSTN/ISDN/VSAT link

Digital camera Scanner

Telephone

Modem

Printer

Nodal Hospital

Software Modules -1
NODAL CENTRE REFERRAL CENTRE Data Acquisition Data Acquisition User Interface User Interface

Data Distributor Data Distributor Temp Files

Patient data Patient data Browser Browser

Local DB

Temp Files Data Distributor Data Distributor

Master Database

Data Encryption Data Encryption DATA Acknowledgement

Data Decryption Data Decryption

Data Sender Data Sender

Data Receiver Data Receiver

Data Flow Diagram For Off line Communication

Software Modules - 2
NODAL CENTRE REFERRAL CENTRE Data Data Acquisition Acquisition Secure Communication Channel

Local DB

Online Session Online Session Coordinator and Coordinator and communicator communicator

Online Session Online Session Coordinator and Coordinator and communicator communicator

Master DB

Video Conferencing
Data Flow Diagram For Online Communication

Video Conferencing

Intelligent home healthcare embedded system

Intelligent home health care embedded system which can provide diagnosis about health status for patients directly at home. Pluggable medical transducers (e.g. electrocardiograph, sphygmomanometer, blood glucose meter, etc.) can be flexibly connected to the interface of the embedded system.

Patients can have health checking by themselves easily and advices about their health status are displayed to them immediately.
Expert system with updatable knowledge base for diagnosis of the health status. Primary diagnosis results will be displayed as a preliminary advice to the patients.

Intelligent home healthcare embedded system

Fall detection system for the elderly. Falls are common in the elderly and constitute a major health burden. Prototype is wearable accelerometer for fall detection (Analog Devices ADXL105 )

Wireless Biomedical System Design Based on ZigBee Technology

It has the capability to monitor vital signals from multiple biosensors. Biomedical signals are collected and processed using 2tiered subsystems. The first stage is the mobile device carried on the body that runs a number of biosensors. At the second stage, further processing is performed by a local base station.

FPGA Module for image processing

A module with Virtex-II FPGA & 256 Mb of external RAM.

 Result

Original Image

Below 45 degree

Complete reconstruction Above 45 degree

Back-Projection Reconstruction

MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a spectroscopic imaging technique used in medical settings to produce images of the inside of the human body. MRI is based on the principles of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), which is a spectroscopic technique used to obtain microscopic chemical and physical data about molecules . The magnetic resonance imaging is accomplished through the absorption and emission of energy of the radio frequency (RF) range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The most important component of the MRI scanner is the magnet.

Conclusion

Embedded systems will have a more important role in biomedical applications in the following period. Exploring and exploiting new opportunities in the emerging interface between computer and biology/healthcare. Developing smart applications that improves productivity and quality in the bio-laboratories. Pervasive embedded computing technologies to promote research productivity in biomedical laboratories